Oil company fined following liquid petroleum gas leak

by Industry SectorsPorts & MaritimeSafety

The operator of the UK’s largest oil refinery has been fined for health and safety breaches after a leak of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) was discovered by a worker cycling home at the end of their shift.

Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 15 November 2015, there was an uncontrolled release of around 15 tonnes of LPG through a valve near to the main roadway used by LPG road tankers visiting Esso Petroleum Company’s refinery in Fawley, Hampshire.

The leak went undetected for around four hours before being discovered by an employee on his way home. It took a further hour to establish the source of the leak with on-site emergency personnel having to enter the area to reset the valve.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the leak occurred because LPG was put through the pipe work at too a high a pressure for the valve, there was no process in place to detect the discrepancy in the flow in the pipe and that the company had failed to take all measures necessary to prevent a major accident.

Esso Petroleum Company Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5(1) of The Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH) 2015 and was fined £500,000.

After the hearing, HSE inspector, Jonathan Halewood commented: “The measures required to prevent accidents should be proportionate to the risks. Where companies handle large quantities of substances that can cause major accidents, such as LPG, they are required to have layers of protection in place to prevent accidents.

“In this incident a number of those layers either failed or were not in place resulting in a significant leak. Even though there was no fire or injury on this occasion, there was potential for a major accident. The prosecution has been brought to highlight the importance of maintaining the layers of protection and preventing this kind of major leak.”

Five killed after fire breaks out at Pemex oil and gas facility

by EventsIndustry SectorsPorts & Maritime

An oil and gas facility run by Mexican state firm firm Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) was evacuated on Sunday after a fire broke out broke out according to reports. Early reports have suggested that five people have been and many more have been injured, with an operation in place to search for missing workers.

The blaze took place at the E-Ku-A2 platform at the Ku-Maloob-Zaap oil field in the Bay of Campeche but was brought under control around 4.30 p.m. (2130 GMT), according to a statement released by Pemex. The company also confirmed that the fire caused them to cut about a quarter of Mexico’s oil production, with the platform still out of operation.

The injured were being treated for burns in hospitals, and the cause of the fire at the E-Ku-A2 platform would be investigated, according to Pemex Chief Executive Octavio Romero told a news conference.

Although the cause of the fire is so far unknown, it broke out as workers were carrying out maintenance work on the platform.

Ministers in show of support for opening offshore oil and gas industry

by Industry SectorsPorts & MaritimeProjectsUtilities

UK Government Ministers have shown support for the offshore oil and gas industry, attending a formal opening of its leading representative body’s new office in Aberdeen.

Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Minister for Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change, and David Duguid, UK Government Minister for Scotland, today (9 August) attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for OGUK’s new office in Annan House, located near the Union Square development, as part of a day of visits to companies working in the sector.

The ceremony was followed by a discussion with industry leaders in which Ms Trevelyan reconfirmed her support for the North Sea Transition Deal, agreed between UK Government and industry in March.

The deal will unlock up to £16 billion of investment over the next decade in crucial low carbon solutions like carbon capture and hydrogen, secure up to 40,000 energy jobs in industrial heartlands across the UK and cut UK emissions by 60 million tonnes (the equivalent of taking 2.5 million cars off the road).

It will also ensure energy communities across the UK can successfully transition, retaining jobs and skills and creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

OGUK CEO Deirdre Michie said: “We welcome the Ministers today and appreciate this show of support at such a pivotal time for our industry.

“This ceremony marks an era of transformation for our sector as we continue our recovery, working with the UK Government to implement the North Sea Transition Deal, a key catalyst for net zero and the Prime Minister’s ten-point-plan alike.

“We hope to build on this positive relationship with government in the coming years to realise the full potential of our changing sector, supporting jobs and the economy while playing a key role in delivering the government’s net zero targets.”

Energy and Climate Change Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “It was a privilege to officially open OGUK’s new office in Aberdeen today, and I look forward to continuing to work with the UK’s oil and gas sector to support them in the transition to a cleaner, greener energy future.

“Through our landmark North Sea Transition Deal, we are backing the decarbonisation of the oil and gas industry, while supporting workers both here in Scotland and across the UK, as we work to build back greener and eliminate our contribution to climate change.”

UK Government Minister for Scotland David Duguid said: “It was great to meet representatives from OGUK and see the brilliant new offices at Annan House, marking another step forward in the North Sea Transition Deal.

“The North East of Scotland has a reputation for excellence in the oil and gas industry, and as we move towards a greener future, the UK Government is supporting the area to become a global centre of excellence in the energy transition.

“The Deal will safeguard and create highly-skilled jobs in the North East, boosting the economy while helping us realise our net zero ambitions.”

OGUK Conference to focus on the future of oil and gas

by EventsIndustry SectorsPorts & Maritime

Tickets are now available for the latest OGUK conference, where the focus will be on the future of oil and gas. The leading representative body for the UK oil and gas industryhave confirmed that following on from the tumultuous events of 2020, this year‘s conference asks the question, ‘Where next for our industry?’

The event, titled ‘Looking back to move forward – where next for HSE?’ will be held on 24-25 March 2021. OGUK is once again moving beyond the confines of a traditional conference, providing a digital platform for ideas and discussion about the future of oil and gas.

Over the two-day event, OGUK will be joined by leading voices and world-class experts in the fields of health, safety, and environment to reflect on the impact of the past 12 months, as well as looking forward to 2021 and beyond, asking what industry must do to continue improving our HSE performance.

Keynote speakers include Deirdre Michie (OGUK), Sarah Newton (Chair, HSE), Fuzzy Bitar (BP), Steve Hunt (Stork), and Dr Martin Valenti (Scottish Enterprise). OGUK are also delighted to announce that they will be joined by Sir David Spiegelhalter OBE FRS, British statistician and Winton Professor of the Public Understanding of Risk in the Statistical Laboratory at the University of Cambridge.

OGUK Health, Safety & Environment Director, Trevor Stapleton commented: “After a year like no other for our industry, this year’s HSE Conference provides us with a unique opportunity to gather leading industry voices to take stock on the past 12 months and to discuss what HSE looks like for our sector as we navigate toward a post-pandemic world.

“We’re delighted to be joined by some of the industry’s pioneering and expert thinkers on the topic of HSE, and I look forward to welcoming colleagues from across the sector to this event.”

To book your place, or to view sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, please visit https://ogukhseconference.co.uk/